The Duke’s Defender by C.H. Admirand

The Duke’s Guard: The men in black who have sworn an oath to protect the Duke of Wyndmere and his family from enemies that would stop at nothing to discredit and destroy him!
“Lass, ye need to trust someone in yer hour of darkness…let it be me.”
Aiden Garahan is tasked with protecting the duke’s new ward. He promises to protect her with his life. The lovely young woman, with auburn hair and quiet gray eyes is no child, but a petite, curvaceous beauty. His reaction to her is unexpected and unwanted.
Miss Emily Montrose may be small in stature, but she is no shrinking violet! When a runaway carriage tragically cuts her father’s life short, she is thrust into chaos as the duke’s ward. Her life is turned upside down when rumors and a wager challenges all comers to win her hand. Emily’s life is threatened as the wager increases and unscrupulous men see her as a prize.